Freedom Forum has been concerned over an incident of press freedom violation occurred at Koteshwor of the capital on April 20, 2012.
The cadres of All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) affiliated to the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) turned violent and vandalized the Nagarik daily´s stall at Koteshwor accusing the daily of carrying 'biased news' about the clash at Pashupati Multiple Campus of Chabahil a day before.
The activists stormed the stall opened for subscription to the daily and its sister publication the Republica, snatched several copies of the newspapers and burnt them.
However, the police intervention made them stop the rowdy behavior. They, all of a sudden, came from a nearby college, where they were organizing a program and resorted to vandalism. The daily had published news about ANNFSU students' clash with Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal
Students Union activists over a minor dispute. The incident of press freedom violation creates self-censorship among journalists and media houses. Despite their rights to object to the news reaching the media house if it was wrong and biased, they turned rowdy and burnt the newspaper. Therefore, Freedom Forum, urges the UML party to teach its cadres and party wings to respect press freedom and people's right to information.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022